Book picks similar to
A Tale of Beauty and Beast The Wedding by Melanie Cellier


short-stories
short-stories-novellas
clean-reads
extra-may-reads

Deceptive Nights


Sylvia Hubbard - 2010
    Jacoby Knight just wants to find a woman, who wants to join themselves with his body and not his massive bank account. These two strangers meet and find they can meet each other needs, yet one night won't do when passion this hot meets.

In God's Eyes


Chris M. Hibbard - 2013
    Though they pray for a solution, they find themselves unprepared for the transformation God has in store. Short story, 6,000 words, about 20 pages.

Bridge of Snow


Marie Rutkoski - 2014
    Let the carriage to a royal ball wait. There is a story to be told: of a starless night, a mother and her sick son, and a mortal who falls in love with the snow god, and will do anything to have her...

A Cowboy's Salvation


Taylor R. Lawson - 2016
    He's been the town's sheriff even during its formative years, and he's developed quite a reputation as it's tough law-enforcing sheriff. Because of his long tenure, and dedication to his job, he's also developed a very unflattering nickname, at least for him. It's a nickname that's best not said to Sheriff Tex's face. They call him “Lonesome” Tex Wilson. During one night, in particular, one of Brimstone's residents makes the mistake of doing just that. He gets a fist in his face for his trouble, from Tex himself. But the incident makes Tex start to think about his life. He's presided over Brimstone for so long. With the advent of the railroad and Brimstone being a booming mining town, his job will only become even more hectic and dangerous. There's bound to be more outlaws and troublemakers who will try to make a quick buck through a bank robbery, or anything of the sort. Tex realizes that he can't keep doing this forever, and he's not getting any younger. He needs to have something for himself. He hesitantly fills out an application for a mail order bride service. He doesn't put much faith in it but does it anyway. After all, he's got to try something. It's kind of like Tex's message in a bottle, for his heart. Fortunately or Unfortunately for Tex, his application works better than he ever expected. Soon enough, he begins to receive letters from a sweet woman. She looks very attractive in her photograph and writes with sincerity and honesty that seems to jump out of the paper. Her name is Annie Portion. After some letters, Tex is smitten by Annie, and he proposes to her through their correspondences. Annie agrees, and she is soon off to Brimstone to get married to Sheriff Tex. They meet up, and Annie is everything that Tex every wanted and more. They get married, and it seems that everything is going just as Tex wanted. It's a storybook dream, and suddenly, “Lonesome” Tex isn't lonesome anymore. But there's a catch, and not everything is what it seems. Annie Portion is real “Redtail Annie” a mysterious and notorious female outlaw. No one has ever seen her face because it's always covered with a large handkerchief. Annie saw the sheriff's application on the Mail Order Bride service, and she saw it as a great opportunity. She figured her gang could strike with a lot more impunity if she were actually married to the sheriff. It's a bold, long-term plan that could work. It's a great idea that would have been perfect except for one thing; Annie is falling in love with Tex. With their time together, Annie begins to develop feelings for Tex. She starts to develop a real liking for her life with him in Brimstone. But her gang doesn't know this, and they're getting itchy, waiting for her signal to rob the town bank, at the most opportune moment. With the stakes so high, what choice will Annie make? Who will prevail? Annie Portion, the woman who loves Tex Wilson, or “Redtail Annie” the outlaw?

Abandoned: A Ghost Story


Carol McMahon - 2017
     She’s been kicked out of her apartment in Queens by her alcoholic boyfriend and has no other friends in the city. A co-worker tells her about a house on Staten Island where she can live in rent-free, but Lisa comes to realize the price that comes with living in an abandoned house. Abandoned: A Ghost Story is a novelette of 14,500 words.

Prescription: Murder! Volume 3: Authentic Cases From the Files of Alan Hynd


Alan Hynd - 2014
     From the files and pen of world renowned true crime writer Alan Hynd (1903 - 1974) comes the final installment of deliciously dark true murder cases of the first half of the 20th Century. These stories, the third of these three short collections, are unified by a single theme: they all involve physicians. And not for the autopsy, but as perpetrators or accused perpetrators. You may never see your family care giver again in the same light. Told in the characteristic wry, anecdotal reportorial style that made Alan Hynd famous in his day (two wartime best sellers in 1943, contributions to The Reader's Digest, Colliers, Coronet, The Saturday Evening Post, True, Liberty, The American Mercury and almost every true detective magazine in print) these tales will have you cringing one minute, laughing the next, and gasping in shock a moment later. Truly, no one could make up classics like these. We meet here the notorious Dr. Cream, a twitchy-eyed psychotic with a yen for prostitutes, a Philadelphia chiropractor whose girlfriend lost her head, and Marcel Petiot, whose patients payed their own way out of this world. Then as a bonus, get to know (from a safe distance) "Lethal Louise," the black widow of California, and Adolf Luetgert of Chicago, whose sausage-making plant was put to extracurricular uses. This is not for the faint of heart. True crime is always farther out there than fiction.

The House on Hill Street


Judy Nunn - 2012
    But the neighbours are becoming concerned. Eileen Jameson and the boys haven't been seen for quite some time...When a gruesome discovery points the finger, quite literally, at the Professor's house, Inspector Max Carruthers and Detective Sergeant Lucas Matthews come knocking at the door. It's a day they will never forget ...

Claiming Christmas: A Mountain Man Romance Novella


Suzanne Hart - 2018
    And then she shows up out of nowhere and ruins everything. Two years ago Declan’s life looked different. Parties, alcohol and women fill up his nights and everything was fine. Then a phone call changed everything. Now he’s in the woods to get away from it all. Except that she’s showed up. With her red lips and her bright eyes and a body that brings him to his knees. He was only supposed to chop wood for her fireplace. And then he was stripping her clothes. She’ll be gone by Christmas. But can he lose her now that he got a taste of her? You’ll love this heartwarming holiday romance, because everyone loves a captivating story with a twist. Get it now.

Sexy Prick


Lucia Jordan - 2016
    Her longtime friend—the sinfully handsome Michael Sebastien—agrees to help her try and fulfill her deepest desire. But if he’s just as new to this as she is, why is he so good at taking control? And will Christine come to realize that maybe Michael might just be her perfect match?

Sticky Fingers 3 (Sticky Fingers Collection)


J.T. Lawrence - 2018
    Humorous, touching, creepy, but most of all entertaining, this collection is superb." — Tracy Michelle Anderson *** If you're a fan of Roald Dahl or Gillian Flynn you'll love these unsettling stories with a twist in the tale.  Click now to start reading. ​

Kisses, Kids and Bundles of Joy: Seven Christian Winter Romances


Cindy Flores Martinez - 2016
    Kisses and kids abound in this collection of novellas that will warm your heart all winter long. One Winter Kiss - Lindi Peterson - Deena Ross travels to Ohio to try and sway her grandfather from making a big mistake, a mistake his neighbor Andrew has been encouraging. When a winter storm hits, and Deena is forced to stay with Andrew and his young son, Evan, Deena's vision of love is tested and she might lose her heart in one winter kiss. Childish Ways - Jenn Faulk - Kevin Peterson, a teacher at a small town elementary school, is unexpectedly reunited with Lisa Walker, a girl who spent most of their childhood tormenting and bullying him, when she comes back to town where she helps organize a winter carnival to benefit her niece's school. Lisa has no idea who he is, though, and as they work alongside one another and Kevin sees how much she has changed, he begins to question whether or not he can really trust her and let her into his life. The Baby & the Bachelor - Cindy K. Green - Playboy bachelor, Alec, discovers a baby on his doorstep only days away from being appointed to a political office, prompting him to appeal his assistant, Jane, for help. Misunderstandings and accusations from the press abound, leading Alec to wonder, even if he were prepared for a ready-made family, could sweet, church-going Jane ever find it in her heart to marry a sinner like him? For Tracy - Trisha Grace - One phone call led to Sarah Carter becoming the guardian of her favorite student, Tracy, while waiting for Tracy’s Uncle Keith to show up. But Sarah has no idea Uncle Keith was Keith Sutton, Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor, and doesn’t realize how much trouble she is heading for. Tropical Kiss Or Miss - Liwen Y. Ho - Therapist Olivia Chan can’t wait to escape it all—a failed marriage, a struggling practice, and her son’s recent health scare. The Hawaiian getaway she planned, however, gets rained on—quite literally—by a tropical storm and the unexpected arrival of her estranged husband Matthew, who’s determined to win her back. To Gain a Mommy - Tanya Eavenson - When Hope Michaels decides to face her past, she unknowingly purchases the house across the street from her former fiancé—the man her twin sister married, then widowed. Fire Captain Carl McGuire can put out any flame, except for the one Hope sparks within him—some things never change. Foolish Heart - Cindy Flores Martinez - Judy and Graham have feelings for each other, but they won’t admit it. After all, she lives in America and he lives in Scotland with his daughter, Mairi, who he could never leave to be with the woman he loves.

Gloop!


David Brian - 2015
    It has lain in the cold and dark of the bog, waiting patiently for a host to set it free. Now, for John Cluer and his family, nothing will ever be the same again.A novelette of approximately 10,000 words.

Ten Chimes to Midnight: A Collection of Ghost Stories


Amy Cross - 2019
    But what's waiting, out on the platform, for the passengers? A woman returns to her childhood home, seeking revenge against the spirit that killed her entire family. But will she be given the chance? An angry husband confronts a faded old magician. Is he about to learn a startling secret about the nature of life and death? Ten Chimes to Midnight is a collection, featuring the brand new stories By the Time You Finish Reading This Short Story..., The Carriage, Probate, The Sleeping Ghost, Bill, The Ghost of Pentarth Asylum, The B*tch and the B*stard and As I Put My Card Back in the Deck..., as well as new versions of The Legend of Bug-Eyed Pete and the 2014 novella Hugo: The Lockton Downs Haunting.

Winter Fae


Melissa Turner Lee - 2012
    But life outside has made her sick. When she returns to the land of fae with her son, she discovers things are not as they should be. Will she find the healing she so desperately seeks for herself and invalid son? Or will she be received with the coldness of winter?

Death of Choice: Eight Tales of Murder, Mayhem, and Mystery


Micheal Maxwell - 2015
    It is our hope that in this anthology you will find a story to love. We come from as varied backgrounds as we do locations. Hawaii to New York, California to Texas, and Texas to Tennessee; we have come together to share our love of storytelling. The characters within these pages are a wondrous mix as well. A flamboyant Knoxville designer, a 1900s investigative reporter, a neurosurgeon, a coroner, a woman dripping of Russian opulence and Parisian elegance, a detective that has simply had enough, and a Tennessee Police Chief all fill the pages and the imagination in Death of Choice. Come along with us to a Children’s Cemetery, 1920’s London, a daisy fresh diner in L.A., a fog shrouded barn, a small town in Tennessee, a Honolulu beach, and meet a collection of short stories from writers that will give you chills, thrills, and a set of tales you will long remember. Our hope is through these intriguing introductions you will discover an author or two you will want to read more of, and get to know better. Each of the authors in this anthology have many more books for you to enjoy. So find that spot where you love to curl up and read, and enjoy this collection of murder, mayhem and mystery. Micheal Maxwell Editor and Compiler September 2015